Nepal Sambat is the official calendar of Nepal. The government of Nepal recognised the Nepal Sambat as the national calendar in 2007 A.D. This calendar was the national calendar of Nepal in Malla and early Shah era too, It was replaced by Bikram Sambat as the national Nepali Calendar latter. However, the calendar is still in use because most of the Nepalese festivals are celebrated according to the nepal sambat calendar. As a result of which most of the Nepalese national newspaper have employed this calendar together with the Gregorian calendar and the Bikram Sambat. Nepal Sambat (नेपाल सम्बत) is a lunar calendar. It was initiated by Sankhadhar Sakhwa to commemorate the pay back of all the debts of Nepalese people.

Description
This is a lunar calendar. It consists of 354 days per year and an added one month every third year. This calendar came into being and into official use during the reign of king Raghabdev, immediately after the completion of Mandev Sambat 304 (881 AD). Nepal Sambat is an unique calendar in the whole world. All other calendars are named after some rulers or religious leaders. Nepal Sambat is the only calendar which is named after a country. This calendar is said to have been introduced by a common subject Shankhadhar Sakhwal by clearing on his own all debts owing to the state by the then subjects of Nepal. This calendar was in continuous official use in Nepal for 888 years, i.e., from 881 to 1769 AD. After conquering Kathmandu in 1769 AD, Gorkha king Prithvi Narayan Shah discontinued official use of Nepal Sambat. He instead revived and brought Shaka Sambat into official use since then. Read more...

The Origins
Nepal sambat was founded on October 20, 879 A.D. during th reign of Thakuri King Raghavadeva (879-942 A.D). According to a mid-fourteenth-century Sanskrit chronicle an epoch era was dedicated to Lord Pasupati (Pasupatibhattarake samvatsara pravartkritah) during his reign. This has led some historians to surmise that “the foundation of the era was due to some religious event connected with the national shrine of Pasupati Natha. (Petech).

Early palm-leaf manuscripts dated in Nepal Sambat (N.S 28 and N.S 40, i.e., A.D. 908 and A.D. 920) are extant in Nepalese collections. The earliest medieval inscriptions are dated in Nepal Samvat. However, at that time it was simply known as Samvat. The name, Nepal vatsara was used for the first time in NS 148 (A.D. 1028). Early medieval, medieval, and late medieval epigraphy and documents are dated and computed according to this lunar calendar. Read more...

Nepali Calendar

About Nepal Sambat

Nepal Sambat was the national calendar of Nepal in Malla and early Shah era. It was replaced by Bikram Sambat as the national calendar. The government of Nepal recognised the Nepal Sambat as the national calendar in 2007. Nepal Sambat calendar is still in use because most of the Nepalese festivals are celebrated according to the calendar. Read more...